Lipstick On His Cheek
by Vampiric Dragonrider
Summary: Kaiba has been bored. To quench his boredom, he used girls, dropping them when he tired of them. Having dropped his most recent "official girlfriend," he meets Faye, a new student, and decides that he'll use her for a while, until he tires of her too...
1. Prologue

**Hey. This is a quick story I thought up yesterday on a six hour car drive. This'll be my first time using Japanese honorifics, so I hope I do it right. Please review. Cheers!

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**

_Prologue_

"I can't tell you how much this means to me, Kaiba," said the beauty sitting next to him. What was her name again? Oh yeah, Yoshie. She dabbed more lip gloss on as she stared into a pocket mirror, her coal black eyes looking for any imperfections not covered by her makeup. Her thick, glossy black hair had a rebellious streak dyed red.

Kaiba had taken her to the gala he had been invited to, hosted by an important CEO. The card had said to bring a date, there will be dancing. Seeing as it was only common courtesy to go, he picked up Yoshie, a model, one of the many girls who waited – hoped – for the day when the great Kaiba Seto would take them on a date. The two of them now were sitting at one of the many white round tables. Their dishes had just been taken away, and someone spoke into the microphone, saying that it was time to dance.

Yoshie snapped her mirror shut and slipped it and her lip gloss into her small black purse. She was wearing a strapless dark blue dress that shimmered in the lights of the ballroom. It was tight down to her hips before it flared, reaching mid-thigh. He himself was wearing a dark blue Armani suit, a black dress shirt, and a white silk tie. Kaiba stood up and offered his hand to his date. She smiled prettily, putting her hands – nails painted sky blue, a white flower on her thumbs – in his. She let him gently hoist her up.

As they danced, Kaiba was lost in thought, his feet leading without need of his mind. This wasn't actually his first date with Yoshie. The press had made a big deal about it when he first went out with her, as they did with any other girl. So he supposed she was his current "official girlfriend."

Yoshie wasn't his first "official girlfriend" either. For image reasons, he's had multiple. However, neither one lasted long. It was fun at first, sure, but soon there came a time when he couldn't stand them. He either found them annoying, or he grew tired of them. And so he dropped them (sneakily, of course) and found another. After all, one could only have fun making one girl infatuated with him for so long until a fresh face and mind was required.

He twirled her just as the latest song ended. She beamed at him, and he nodded in reply. She glanced at her rhinestone watch and groaned.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" she said. "The night's still young, but I have a photo shoot early tomorrow morning, and if I don't get some sleep, I'll be so irritable…"

Kaiba nodded. "I understand," he said. "I'll take you home.

* * *

He stood in front of the car as she walked up to the door of her apartment complex, hips swaying sexily and strappy heels clicking. He watched her unlock the door and pause.

_She means nothing to me,_ he decided. Perhaps it was time to drop her…

She turned around. "Would you like to come up to my room?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Sure," he replied.

_She is disposable.

* * *

_**Um, yes, that last couple lines are EXACTLY what you're thinking.**

**The chapters will be short, I'll warn you now. Cheers!  
**


	2. Faye Mercer

**I have about half this story written already; I just have to type it up. So the updates should come pretty quickly, at least for a little while.

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**_Chapter 1_

Kaiba met his brother at breakfast the following morning. Mokuba did his morning chatter over a plate of pancakes while Kaiba sat with a mug of coffee – black, of course.

"The gala went pretty late, huh," Mokuba said, his gray eyes peering over his plate.

"Yes," Kaiba lied. He had left at about 9:30 PM, and gotten back at roughly 2:30 AM.

Mokuba grinned. "I hope you had fun. And how was your daaaaate?" he asked teasingly.

"Fine."

"Was she pretty?"

"Yes."

"She's a model, isn't she? What was her name again?"

"Yes. Yoshie." Though it was heavily publicized, he still didn't tell his little brother much about his quote-unquote "love life."

"Was she was a good dancer?"

"She was good enough. It's getting late; you need to get to school."

Mokuba moaned good-naturedly and hopped off his chair, grabbing his school bag. Kaiba followed him out the door, stepping into the waiting limousine behind him.

Mokuba stared long and hard at his big brother before asking, "Are you okay, Niisama? You seem gloomier than usual." Wringing his hands, he added, "You're not depressed again, are you?"

Kaiba merely shrugged.

* * *

Kaiba sat in his desk at the back of the classroom, staring aimlessly out the window as first period loomed. The teacher walked in just as the final bell rang. Ito-sensei was a middle-aged man, his black hair receding already. He wore reading glasses for the reason that his aging eyes were becoming far-sighted.

"Now class," Ito-sensei stated. "Open your books to page…" He was interrupted by the door to the classroom opening. Everyone, including Kaiba, turned to see a girl poke her head in.

"Um… excuse me," she started, mumbling slightly. "Is this class 2-B?"

"Yes," said the teacher. He looked over the roster on the laptop on his desk. "Oh, you're…" He squinted. "Mercer Faye-san."

"Faye Mercer, yes," she confirmed.

"Well… come to the front of the class and tell us a little about yourself."

The girl paled. "Um… sure…" She stepped up next to Ito-sensei, and Kaiba could get a good look at her. She had a petite figure, though she was slightly taller than average. She had thin, shoulder-length light brown hair and dark green eyes. An inch or two of the tips of her hair was dyed silver. She tugged at the short skirt of the uniform occasionally, denoting a high probability of self-consciousness. "Hello…" she said. After a silent pause, she continued, "Well, my name is Faye, and I moved here recently from New York City in the United States. Um… I like to draw and write… and I love video games."

That perked a few guys up. A petite girl – not too nerdy looking, either – who liked video games? Score!

"Um…" She looked back at the teacher with a look that plainly said _please let me sit now._

Ito-sensei nodded. "Yes. Sorry, the only free desk is back there next to Kaiba Seto-san." The girl called Faye nodded and headed for her seat. "Now as I was saying, open your books…"

As the teacher rambled on, Kaiba discreetly studied Faye's profile. Her face _was_ welcoming, and her nose had perfect shape. She wore no makeup, not even mascara or lip gloss. Her long fingers rested on her book, her nails painted a dark red. Kaiba at first rolled his eyes. Great, another person who couldn't go a day without nail polish. But he noticed that on one hand, the nail polish had been restlessly picked at, dispelling that notion.

At last, the bell rang, ending the period, and Ito-sensei left. Some kids arose from their desks to visit their friends at other desks. Yugi and _his_ friends got up and walked over to Faye's desk to say hello. Kaiba scowled, but they paid him no heed.

After the four of them introduced themselves, Anzu asked hopefully, "So Faye-chan, you're from New York?" Faye seemed glad and relieved that someone decided to talk to her. She was grinning.

"Yeah," she said.

"You don't have a New York Accent," Yugi noted.

"That's because I'm originally from Chicago. When I was 12, we moved to New York. And now, four years later, I'm here."

"That sounds kinda rough," Honda said. She shrugged.

"Faye-chan, you like to draw?" Anzu inquired.

"Yeah, but I guess I like writing a little more."

Anzu beamed. "That's awesome. I'm a dancer. I dream of going to New York to study dancing!"

"That's great, Anzu-chan!" Faye said eagerly. "I'm sure you can do it!" The Japanese girl brightened visibly.

"So Faye-chan," Jounouchi said, "do you play Duel Monsters?"

"Kinda. I'm still a novice, but I've got a deck."

"Faye-chan," Yugi piped up. "You said you like video games, right?" She nodded. "Would you like to come to the arcade with us after school today?"

Faye smiled, her eyes lighting up. "I'd love that!"

Kaiba, meanwhile, decided she had a pretty smile, which meant the press would love her if he picked her up. And he was becoming tired of Yoshie anyway. Not to mention that so far, Faye seemed light-hearted, which meant that she might not mind being dragged to balls and dances.

It was clear, then. Faye would replace Yoshie. He would use her until he got tired of her, too.

* * *

**Once again, this is my first time using honorifics. I hope I got them right.**

**So that's Faye, my OC. Anzu, while maybe not having as big a part as some of you want, DOES have a bigger part than the other characters (minus Kaiba, of course). So I put her on the "character roster" thingy. You know what I mean... Cheers! Don't forget to review, please.  
**


	3. Bye, Yoshie

**Most of this story is centered around Kaiba (duh), but the POV will shift occasionally to help either move the story along or add to the plot, or even both. Just thought I'd tell you...

* * *

**_Chapter 2_

First, Kaiba had to ditch Yoshie. He _could_ just call her and break up, but where would the fun in that be? He had major influence in many places, so why shouldn't he use his power? And besides, it would be bad for his image, seeing as their relation was seen as good and strong in the media. He didn't fancy being called a "heart-breaker" publicly.

So instead, he called a modeling agency in California and suggested Yoshie to them. They liked the idea, seeing as they needed more Oriental models. And so, a few days later, Yoshie rang up Kaiba, excitement lacing her voice. "Can you believe it?" she was saying. "I get to go to California!"

"But what about us?" he asked, knowing the answer. Yoshie wasn't the long-distance type.

She faltered. "Oh, um… I'm sorry, Kaiba… I'm not sure how well a long-distance relationship would work out."

"I understand," he said after a moment of silence. "I guess this is goodbye, then."

"Yes. Goodbye, Kaiba Seto."

* * *

The next step was going to take patience. He'd have to get Faye interested in him enough to go to a gala with him. But he would have fun with it. The first motion would be flirting…

That day, Yugi-tachi had invited Faye to the arcade again. So that was where Kaiba went now.

He found them there, all right. He kept his distance, but they were so engrossed in their game that they didn't notice much at all. Faye was playing Mortal Kombat with Jounouchi. And was winning. A few minutes passed, and Jounouchi slapped the game in frustration while Faye gave a small, happy exclamation. But then she rubbed her eye.

"Sorry, my contact's suddenly bothering me," she apologized. "I'll just go to the restroom real quick, okay?"

"Okay, we'll be here," Yugi said. She smiled and headed off to the restrooms at the back. Recognizing his chance, Kaiba moved into action, heading for the restrooms as well.

Anzu caught a glimpse of him. "Hey, was that Kaiba-kun?"

The rest of them looked up, but he was gone from sight. Jounouchi, already frustrated from losing, hissed, "What's he doing here?"

Yugi tried to calm him down. "Don't forget," he reminded his friend, "Kaiba-kun's a gamer, too."

Kaiba made his way to the restrooms and leaned coolly against the wall opposite the woman's restroom – though not right in front of the door, that would have been awkward. He was a little ways away. Soon enough, Faye exited the restroom, her attention on her purse. She zipped it closed, looked up, and stopped when she saw Kaiba.

"Oh," she said. "Kaiba-san."

"Faye-san," was his reply.

She smiled tensely. "Fancy seeing you here. Guess it's to be expected. You own your own gaming company." She gave a small, uneasy chuckle.

"No need to be nervous," he told her, never taking his eyes away from hers. Her eyes flicked occasionally away to look at the wall or the floor, but as if chastising herself, they always returned to meet his gaze. "So I heard that you play Duel Monsters," he said. He had to get her comfortable with him.

She laughed again, a shaky tinkle. "Yeah, but I'm nowhere _near_ your level. I'm not that good yet."

The corner of his mouth twitched. "If you want, I could help you with your deck."

She faltered. Was that the wrong thing to say? "Oh, um… Yugi-kun's already promised to help me…"

"Oh, okay," he said. _Quick! Think of another thing to keep the conversation going!_ Mokuba's face floated into his mind's eye, and he asked, "Do you have any siblings?"

"Yes, two older brothers," she said.

A voice piped up behind Kaiba. "Faye-chan? You're taking a long time." It was Anzu. She saw Kaiba and stopped, glaring at him. "Oh, I _thought_ I saw a snake."

Kaiba narrowed his eyes at her. However, before leaving, he took Faye's hand and kissed it lightly. "Thank you for your time." And with one last exchange of cold looks with Anzu, he left.

Anzu quickly grabbed a stunned Faye's other hand. "I'd stay away from him if I were you," she said. "He's rotten to the core. Yugi insists otherwise, but that jerk has yet to prove Yugi right, and me wrong." Now, she brightened, tugging Faye along. "Now, come on, Faye-chan! Yugi's already beat Jou-kun at Mortal Kombat three times!"

* * *

**Yugi-tachi = something like "Yugi's group." Basically, when I say Yugi-tachi, I mean Yugi, Anzu, Jounouchi, and Honda.**


	4. Chats in Class

**Told you I'd update fast, didn't I?

* * *

**_Chapter 3_

Kaiba frowned as he rode in his limousine to his workplace. The day could have gone better. If Yugi hadn't gotten to her first with the deck construction, he would have had an easier flirting job. Oh well. He was always up for a challenge anyway. Apparently, too, Anzu was willing to _give_ a challenge. But he would win. He always does.

Now, he'd have to use his time in school wisely. He'd have to isolate her for a little while, or just talk during class. For once, he was glad of the desk next to him…

* * *

The next day, as the teacher droned on about English vocabulary – something Kaiba and Faye knew perfectly – Kaiba struck up a low conversation.

"So why are the tips of your hair silver?" he inquired politely. He was finding himself lucky that Faye was so willing to talk about herself.

"This past summer, one of my best friends wanted to dye her hair. She dyed it a lovely blue color, by the way. But I went with her and decided I wanted silver flames." She flicked a lock. "I think it looks cool. What do you think?"

"They certainly make you unique," he replied honestly. In truth, the flames didn't look too bad. A little random, sure, but not bad. "Do you miss your friends?"

"A lot…" She stared at her desk, but then brightened. "At least I'm making new ones, too." She glanced at him. "So what about you? You do anything the press hasn't gobbled up?"

Kaiba almost grinned. Almost. "I do play the viola and piano," he admitted. "Along with all the games, of course." If he wanted Faye to be interested in him, he was going to have to give up some information about himself. He'd be careful, but he couldn't be _too_ distant, or she would drift away.

She beamed. "Awesome! I know how to play piano, too, though probably not as well as you. But…" She suddenly grew shy. "I've always wanted to learn how to play viola. Could you teach me some time?"

He smiled slightly. He was making good progress. "Of course," he said. He watched Anzu look back and glare at him, and he winked at her, taunting her. She rolled her eyes and faced front again. "So don't you mind that your friend Anzu-san hates me?"

Faye shook her head, and he smirked inwardly. Score one point for him. "No, I have close friends who don't really like each other that much…"

"Mercer-san!" the teacher snapped. Faye faced forward and the teacher coughed in annoyance. Arakaki-sensei was a stout woman with a sour temper, her thick black hair always in a bun. "Read this sentence," she said, already doing a victory dance in her head.

Faye stared at her pointedly, then read, "Stella left for the airport at half past twelve and was late for her flight."

Arakaki-sensei's face fell. She had obviously forgotten that Faye was actually originally English speaking. "Good job, Mercer-san…" she muttered. "Moving on…"

* * *

The days went on similar to this. Sometimes he asked more personal questions, and sometimes they just chatted. Kaiba talked to Faye mainly during English. She needed to focus in the other classes, and at lunch and study break, she was with Yugi-tachi. But it was enough. Judging by her efforts to look him in the eye, she was interested – _had_ been interested since they first spoke. And the fact that she was being so open about herself meant that she was determined to at least make friends. Anzu, too, was giving him more glares than ever. He was winning.

But he couldn't let it go to his head and rush. She wasn't a model or anything, meaning publicity didn't matter as much. She wouldn't go with him to a formal CEO-hosted party simply for increasing fame and good-image. So he'd start slow. A date or two. He smirked. He was having fun with this. Girls were hopeless when it came to romance. Such suckers.

But a date was due, now. And to shove it in Anzu's face, at lunch Kaiba walked up to the group.

"Ah, hello, Kaiba-kun," Yugi greeted. Kaiba nodded at him and looked at Faye.

"Faye-chan," he said. "The movie _Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince_ comes out on Sunday. Would you like to see it with me?"

All of the guys' faces were shockingly incredulous, their jaws dropping almost to the floor. Anzu appeared utterly furious, but couldn't say anything. It was Faye's choice. Faye herself turned beet red, and Kaiba could almost _see_ her pulse speed up.

"U-uh, sure, yes," she said, stuttering a little. "What time…?"

"Midnight premier?" he suggested. She grinned widely and nodded. "Perfect. I'll pick you up Friday at 11:30, and I'll reserve us seats."* He then turned and returned to his seat, but he could still hear Faye gush to Anzu, "You have to help me pick out an outfit!"

Kaiba smirked. He'd go on a couple dates, give her her first kiss with him on the third or fourth one, and get her gifts periodically. She'd be putty in his hands.

He heard their conversation easily. Anzu said, "You be careful, Faye-chan. I don't trust that his intentions are pure." Yugi, Honda, and Jounouchi were talking amongst themselves, leaving the girls alone to talk one-on-one.

Faye replied, "I understand, Anzu-chan. I'll be careful, but I'll be the final judge, okay?"

Anzu sighed dejectedly. "As long as you realize that there's a chance he's up to no good. He might hurt you, Faye-chan. I don't want you to get hurt."

"I am aware of that, Anzu-chan. But…" She lowered her voice. "But I've never had a boyfriend before. And besides, there's a chance he's also genuinely interested."

"Your heart's in the right place, Faye-chan," Anzu said, placing a hand on her new friend's shoulder, "but if he hurts you, I'll beat him up."

Faye giggled. "Okay, Anzu-chan!"

* * *

***It seems weird that he'd reserve seats, doesn't it? Well, big parties have done it, and I figured he was powerful/rich enough that he could reserve two seats in good positions if he wanted to.**

**Yeah, they're seeing HP 6. Because I needed a movie I've seen and that has a lot of different elements. Don't worry, I won't spoil it.**


	5. At the Movies

**I might even finish this story...

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**_Chapter 4_

As promised, Kaiba drove up to Faye's apartment complex at 11:30. He was wearing all black – black pants, black turtleneck, black shoes. Mokuba had insisted that he dress up a little bit, saying that Faye was going to be a little dressy too.

And Mokuba was right. Faye met him outside wearing a black skirt of a good length and medium-light material, and a pink top with a somewhat large scoop-neck and short puffy sleeves. She had a little bit of makeup on – lip gloss, mascara, brown eyeliner – and carried a purple purse.

"This is exciting!" she said, a genuine smile on her face. "I'm a huge Harry Potter fan, you know. And the midnight premier, too!"

Kaiba held out his hand, and Faye placed hers into it. "We have good seats, too," he told her. "I made sure of it."

She beamed, her eyes lighting up. "Awesome!" she said. He was finding that he liked her better when she smiled. He couldn't be actually growing attached to her, could he? He mentally checked himself. Nope. If she disappeared, he would not care all that much.

"How can you smile so much?" he teased, poking her cheek.

She reddened, her smile turning nervous and shy. "Oh… I dunno…" she mumbled, looking away.

Kaiba gave a short laugh. "It's fine," he assured her. "It's a good trait to have. My brother Mokuba smiles often, too." She visibly relaxed. "Now, let's go. Wouldn't want to be late, now, do we?"

* * *

Kaiba sat through the movie with Faye. Occasionally she would lean over and whisper a comment, but it wasn't often enough to be annoying. She laughed where it was appropriate, and he listened to her as she did so. She had a cute laugh, and it was nice to hear. Did that mean he was becoming attached to her? Not at all. He was just glad she didn't have a hideous guffaw.

Then a part came in the movie where a hand leaped out of a lake. Everyone in the theatre jumped, most of them screaming. Faye jerked and gave a shout, suddenly grasping his hand that rested on the armrest. He swiftly took her hand and squeezed it gently. They didn't let go until the end neared, where she started sniffling. She took her hand back, needing it to wipe tears from her eyes, and seemed too shy to go for holding hands again.

The movie ended soon afterwards, the lights fading on. They stood up. She sniffed a few times, drying her eyes. "Sorry," she apologized. "I'm such a sucker at movies…"

Kaiba reached out and brushed a stray tear from her cheek, making her turn pink. "It's fine," he told her, and she smiled once more.

* * *

The night was silent as the two of them stood in front of the door to Faye's apartment building. Kaiba had slight déjà vu, thinking of Yoshie, but he ignored it.

"Thank you for taking me out," she said softly, looking at a spot on the door.

"It was my pleasure," he replied.

She looked back up at him with her dark green eyes. Nothing else was said, though it seemed as though she wanted to keep the conversation going. Without anything more to say, she broke her gaze away from his, lightly touched his arm, and entered the building after saying, "Good night."

* * *

When Kaiba entered the classroom on Monday, he found Faye talking avidly with Anzu in the middle of the room, where Anzu's desk was. Not drawing much attention to himself, he slipped past the pair and slid into his seat.

"He didn't try to do anything weird or creepy, did he?" Anzu was asking. Faye shook her head, her hair flipping slightly.

"No, he didn't do anything creepy!" she insisted. "I actually had a good time with him. He didn't seem to mind that I cried at the end of the movie either."

Anzu still looked suspicious. "I don't know what he's up to," she said, "but you be careful, Faye-chan!"

Faye pouted. "Yeah, I know. You keep telling me that…" At that moment, Yugi, Jounouchi, and Honda entered the room, and that line of conversation was dropped. Both Anzu and Faye brightened and talked to the guys until the final bell rang and Ito-sensei ordered them to take their seats.

Faye sat down and smiled at Kaiba when their gazes met. She waved hello, and he returned the wave before she faced Ito-sensei. When she wasn't looking, he smirked. Putty in his hands.

* * *

**Dun dun dunnnnn... **


	6. Raindrops

**You guys seem to like Faye. ^o^ I'm glad! I hate that OCs get a bad rap, thanks to Mary Sues...

* * *

**_Chapter 5_

He wanted to get another date planned, but he forced himself to be patient. Too many dates in a row, and he'd be coming on too strong. But if the gap between the dates were too long, she might lose hope. He fretted about it for days, during which he tried to keep up the flirting.

He had a stroke of luck, however, on Friday. At lunch, Faye approached him, shyly twisting her body back and forth.

"Er… Kaiba-kun," she started. "I don't have much homework today, so I was going to take a walk in the park. I was wondering… if you'd like to come with?" She seemed to struggle to keep eye contact, but she did so bravely.

Kaiba smiled slightly. "Of course," he said. "I'd love to." He had actually prepared for spontaneity like this. He had gotten as much work as possible on Monday and Tuesday, letting the rest of his week be free.

Faye was so happy that her grin almost stretched from ear to ear. She bounced a little and clapped her hands together as she returned to Anzu. Anzu's returning smile was a little forced – she still didn't trust Kaiba, but she was also glad Faye was so elated. She gave Kaiba an icy warning glare. He smirked, not caring. He actually found it funny. As if that Japanese girl could do anything to him. And as long as Faye was infatuated with him, Anzu could only stay on the sidelines.

He glanced at the clock. It was so easy.

* * *

Kaiba met up with Faye just outside the school. She greeted him with a light smile. "Well, let's go, then," he said. "The park, you wanted?"

She nodded eagerly, and they started walking. "I haven't been able to go to it yet since I moved here, and I've been meaning to. I love that I'll be in it with you," she admitted. "Do you go to the park often?"

He shook his head. "No. Usually my office requires my attention."

"Oh that's right! It's so easy to forget you're a CEO."

By the time they reached the park, the clear afternoon sky had become overcast, dark gray clouds broiling above. "Hn," he muttered. "Looks like it might rain."

"That's okay!" Faye said. "Well, it's okay with me. I like the rain."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Is that so?"

She grinned and nodded. "Uh-huh! Kaiba-kun, have you ever danced in the rain?"

"No," he replied, just as he felt a drop of water hit his cheek. He wiped it away, glancing at the dirt path they were on. Sure enough, dark dots were appearing, swiftly increasing in number.

Faye laughed, stepping out ahead of him. She twirled slowly as the downpour started, arms outstretched and face tilted towards the sky. He held his book bag over his head, wishing he had an umbrella. But as he watched her, he seemed to have some trouble finding words. He mentally slapped himself, and then asked flatly, "I don't suppose you have an umbrella."

She stopped spinning and blinked at him, a goofy grin on her face. "Oops! I guess you don't want to get wet. Actually, I do have an umbrella." She took out a black umbrella that collapsed into something small enough to fit in her bag. She opened it up, and he took it from her, holding it over both of their heads. Faye was wet, but she wasn't soaking.

"Let's finish our walk," Kaiba suggested. In truth, he didn't mind rain. He didn't want to get soaked, but it was a soothing phenomenon. Faye giggled.

"Yeah!"

They walked side by side in the near-empty park, gazing at the beautiful greenery. Kaiba admitted to himself that he didn't stop and smell the metaphorical roses enough for his liking. Sure, he didn't want to do it _too_ much, but every once in a blue moon would be nice. His problem was that, what with his work, before he knew it, the blue moon was gone.

He glanced at Faye as she stared out ahead of them. She certainly was a good person to be around, always with a smile on her face and easy to make laugh. The Press would love her. He reached down and entwined his fingers with hers, and they held hands until they split up to go home.

* * *

**That was actually slightly shorter than the other chapters. Oh well.**


	7. Café Fairy

**Yup. three updates in one day. You're in heaven.

* * *

**_Chapter 6_

The biggest question currently was how to introduce Faye to the paparazzi. He'd been in public with her, but the media hadn't gobbled it up yet. The whole point of this entire endeavor was to both entertain himself and to have a new "official girlfriend." But to have one, the paparazzi needed to snap some photos.

He needed to go somewhere more public than a movie theatre and a rainy park. A café in the middle of the city, perhaps? He liked the sound of that. He took out his laptop and swiftly looked up both outdoor cafés and the weekly weather report. Perfect. Wednesday was going to be nice and sunny.

He withdrew his blackberry from his pocket and called Faye. They had exchanged numbers at the end of their rainy walk in the park. It rang three times before she picked up.

"_Hello?_"

"Hey, Faye-chan."

"_Kaiba-kun! Hello!_"

"Wednesday's weather is supposed to be nice. I was thinking we could have lunch together in an outdoor café."

He could almost see her smiling. "_I'd love to! What time?_"

"I'll pick you up from your apartment at noon."

"_Okay!_"

* * *

Kaiba waited in front of the limo as Faye descended from her room. Mokuba had practically forced him into a pair of jeans and a black short-sleeved T-shirt. He hated wearing short sleeves because of the scars that wrapped and curved around his arms. There weren't too many, but he hated them, and he hated it when people noticed them.

The door to the building opened, and Faye stepped out. She was wearing dark jeans that flared out at the bottom and a pale blue fitted T-shirt with a design of angel wings on the back. A smile bloomed on her face when she saw him.

"Kaiba-kun!" she exclaimed, delighted to see him. "A limo?"

He couldn't help but smile back, though his smile was slight. "I'm treating you today."

She grinned and hugged him, but when he stiffened, she pulled away. "Oh, sorry. I guess you're not a huggy person."

"I'm not," he admitted. He opened the car door for her. "Let's go, shall we?"

* * *

During their ride in the limo, Faye noticed the scars on his arms. She traced one. "You probably don't want me asking… but where did you get these scars?"

He suppressed a shiver that rose from her light touch. "Let's just say I've had them since I was young." She nodded in understanding and withdrew, and the conversation was dropped.

* * *

The café's outdoor seating consisted of pretty little round, black-wire tables, matching chairs, a short iron fence, and boxes of flowers. They were seated near one of these boxes, and Faye caressed the blooming flowers' petals lightly with her fingertips.

"These flowers are so pretty," she breathed.

"No as pretty as you," he said, reaching out his hand and brushing a lock behind her ear. She turned pink, and he forced himself to not smirk. How could girls fall for such cheesy words? They seemed so simple, sometimes. "I got you something." He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small box. "I saw it the other day and immediately thought of you."

"Oh," she mumbled as he opened the box to reveal a glittering silver necklace. "You didn't have to…" The pendant was the silver profile of a fairy, and her wings were bright emeralds.

"I wanted to," he insisted. He got up and walked behind Faye. He slipped the silver chain around her neck, latching it in the back. She touched it where it rested, her blush deepening.

"It's beautiful," she said. "I like it a lot…"

"I'm glad you like it." He leaned down and, wrapping his arms around her torso, nuzzled her neck. His smirk was mistaken for a smile against her warm skin. Girls were so easy.

* * *

The next morning, Kaiba checked the gossip section of the newspaper. Sure enough, there was a picture of him and Faye from yesterday. The headline read, "NEW GIRLFRIEND?" The following article talked about this new official girlfriend excitedly, and how his previous girlfriend had broken up with him when she got a job offer in America.

He smirked. All according to plan.

* * *

Faye was almost late to school that day, so it was lunchtime when Kaiba saw Anzu brandish the morning's newspaper in Faye's face.

"Did you see this?" Anzu asked.

"Yeah…" Faye frowned. "They called me a wallflower."

Yugi spoke up next. "Don't you mind being the target of the paparazzi at _all_?"

Faye shrugged. "I can't really say. I've never been targeted by the paparazzi before. Can't be much different than high school gossip. I think I can handle it…"

"You _think_," Jounouchi echoed. "What if you can't?"

Faye didn't have an answer.

* * *

**Kaiba's cranking up the fluff, ain't he? **

**Yes, well... Maybe newspapers have gossip columns, and maybe it's only for magazines. The newspaper has it now. :P**

**The chapters are being broken up more, as revealed by all those long lines across your screen. I guess it's just speeding up. ^.^  
**


	8. Studious Lips

**This chapter's a little shorter than previously (if that's possible!) but I had to end it where it does. It just fit.

* * *

**_Chapter 7_

In history class that day, the teacher, Narita-sensei, gave them time to study for their test on Saturday. Narita-sensei was an easy-going overweight teacher who loved jokes and history. Kaiba didn't need to study, but Faye let out a soft groan and slumped over her history book. When he looked at her, she muttered into her book, "History is not my strong point. I'm so not ready for the test…"

Kaiba seized his chance and said, "I could help you study after school."

She jerked her head up to look at him, her face hopeful. "Would you? Oh, that'd be great! You're a life saver!"

* * *

When the two of them walked through the front door of his mansion, Mokuba was surprisingly already home (Faye was astonishingly not dumb-struck by the posh mansion, though she did glance around in interest). The two brothers gave each other incredulous stares.

"What are you doing home so early, Mokuba?" he asked.

"My field trip was today, and we got back early." Mokuba looked at Faye. "You've never brought home a girl before, niisama."

Faye blushed. "H-hi, I'm Faye. You're Mokuba-kun, right? Kaiba-kun's mentioned you…"

Mokuba seemed to remember himself, and he smiled at her. "Yes, that's right. Welcome to our home, Faye-chan!"

* * *

Faye moaned and ran her fingers through her silver-tipped hair. History books and notebooks were spread out on the table in front of the couch they sat on. Kaiba lightly touched her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Kaiba-kun. Even with your awesome and brilliant help, I still can't get it. There's so much stuff to remember!"

Kaiba thought quickly. "Well, you like to read, don't you?" She nodded. "If a character was saying the history of her people, you'd remember it, wouldn't you?" she nodded again, this time more slowly, more warily. "Think of _our_ history like a story. It really is one; you just have to see it."

She thought about that for a moment. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks, Kaiba-kun!" She relaxed into the couch, and he leaned back, too.

Suddenly, Faye's cell phone rang, buzzing in her bag like a deranged bee. She quickly reached in and pulled it out, flipping it open and putting it to her ear. "Hello?" she said in English. She paused, and then sighed. "Yeah, okay. I'll be home in a few." She flipped her phone closed once more and switched back to Japanese. "That was my brother. I'm sorry, I gotta go." She stood up, gathering her books and putting them in her bag. "Thanks for everything."

"Wait," he said abruptly, standing up also. She looked at him, taken aback. He tentatively reached out a hand and stroked her jawbone. She shyly looked down, her eyelashes sweeping in the motion. He tilted her chin up slightly and leaned down. Her eyes closed. He pressed his lips against hers.

He wrapped his arms around her lower back, and she responded by lifting her arms and placing her hands on his shoulders. He held her close and kissed her. And she kissed back.

* * *

**Mwah! :3 please review~**


	9. Invitation

**My typed chapters are catching up to my handwritten ones... O.o uh oh...

* * *

**_Chapter 8_

Kaiba greeted Faye the next morning by placing his arm around her and kissing her cheek. She blushed and went mute. There was no point in hiding anything; everyone already knew that the two of them were involved in some way. This just confirmed it. He looked up to see Anzu staring incredulously at him and winked. She turned red in anger; he had this game won, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Kaiba held out a slip of paper so that Faye could see it clearly. "I've been invited to a gala by another CEO. I want you to be my date."

She leaned into him slightly. "Of course I will."

"Good. It's in a few weeks. The paparazzi will most likely be there. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all…"

"Also…" He paused. "We'll be getting a hotel room. There will be two separate beds, of course. The gala will go pretty late."

Faye grinned. "Sounds like fun!"

Kaiba smirked. "Perfect. Why don't you go talk to your friend Anzu-san over there, then? She looks pretty upset."

She giggled. "Yeah…" She broke away from him. "I'll see ya later, then."

He watched her go over to Anzu with a bounce in her step. Anzu attempted to look happy for her friend. "Anzu-chan!" Faye said eagerly. "Will you come with me to shop for a dress?"

Anzu forced a smile, her gaze flicking to Kaiba and back. "Of course, Faye-chan! You will be a stunning princess on that evening."

"Yay!" Faye exclaimed, suddenly hugging Anzu. She took the Japanese girl by surprise. Faye rarely hugged people, actually. "Thank you, Anzu-chan!"

* * *

Later, Anzu spoke alone to Yugi, Jounouchi, and Honda. They stood at the side of the school, where nobody noticed or heard them. "Faye-chan's going to a gala with Kaiba-san. She told me the date and place."

Yugi frowned, looking almost disappointed. "Why do you care that much, Anzu-chan?" he asked her. "I don't think Kaiba-kun is up to anything fishy."

"Do you _know_ how many 'official girlfriends' Kaiba-san has had?" She asked harshly. "Six. _Six_, before Faye-chan."

"Yes, but only one of them ended badly," Yugi countered. "The rest just… fell."

"Well, I have a bad feeling about this one."

Jounouchi spoke up. "Sorry, Yugi-kun. I have to agree with Anzu-chan with this one. That jerk's up to no good, I can feel it."

"Me too," Honda added. "I don't feel too good about this gala."

Yugi sighed, defeated. "If you guys insist… Well, what are you gonna do about it?"

Anzu looked determined and stared at her friends in the eye. "We'll follow them, of course. We'll follow Faye-chan to the gala and keep an eye on them. And if anything happens to Faye-chan, we'll be nearby. Agreed?"

The boys nodded. "Agreed."

* * *

**Yeah, okay, this one is relatively short too. Oh well. The next one will be longer.**

**Dun dun dunnn! I'll give you one half-spoiler. It's nearing the climax. GASP! Yeah. Please review, as always~!  
**


	10. Suspicious Ball Gowns

**Sorry I went from two updates a day to an update after two days, guys. I just started volunteering at a multi-arts camp as a counselor, so I'll be busy. I'll try to get chapters up as fast as possible. Cheers!

* * *

**_Chapter 9_

In the weeks before the gala, Kaiba and Faye actually didn't go on any more dates. Faye was keeping her hands full with homework, hanging out with Yugi-tachi, and shopping for a dress with Anzu. Kaiba was fine with it. They stole moments before and after school, exchanging a few words, almost always leaving with a kiss.

During these weeks, Kaiba became blasé. A master of appearances, he didn't show it. To Faye, she seemed as loving and flirtatious as ever, whispering sweet nothings in her ear. He felt as through the relationship was starting to fall. He started to suspect things about Faye. She seemed way too happy… smug, almost. And she was smart enough to have plans of her own. He was starting to suspect she was having… "naughty thoughts." The more he thought about it, the likelier the possibility was to him. And he was rarely wrong.

Finally, the day of the gala arrived. Kaiba had his chauffeur drive him and the sleek black limousine to Faye's apartment. Their luggage was already at the hotel, shipped beforehand. She must have been waiting for him, for right when he stepped out of the limo, the building's door opened, and there she was.

He was actually taken aback. She was wearing a pale blue floor-length dress that only had one wide strap. It hugged her body just right, and there were parts of it that were slightly more translucent than the rest. It was pretty loose past her hips, reaching all the way down to her feet where high-heeled white sandals were just visible. Sequins were lined in neat columns that traveled the length of her dress.

He noticed that her nails were painted green, as were her toes, and they matched his fairy necklace she was wearing. She carried a white purse with a long strap. Her hair was pulled back slightly – her front locks wrapped around her head to be clipped in the back with a blue hairclip.

Anzu must have helped her with makeup, for she wore black eyeliner, mascara, glittery blue eye shadow, red lip gloss, and pink blush. As she approached him, he noticed she wore a rich perfume – not too strong-smelling, but not too faint either.

He took her hand. "You look beautiful," he said honestly. She blushed.

"You yourself look pretty handsome, too," she said. He was wearing a charcoal Versace suit with a white dress shirt and a black silk tie. He, too, wore a scent, but it was spicier than Faye's.

She smiled softly as they ducked into the limo. "There's going to be a lot of paparazzi at the entrance," he told her. "Are you ready for them? They're not allowed inside the building, but they'll be pelting us with questions as we walk from the car to the door. They'll be asking about you – they don't know who you are."

"I can handle it," she assured him.

The car ride took almost an hour, during which they sat in silence and listened to the radio play music. When they got to the building, there was a crowd of people jostling each other, trying to get a good spot next to the cleared aisle. Faye and Kaiba stepped out of the car and were greeted by flashes of cameras, lenses and mics shoved towards them, and voices shouting to be heard. Galas were a hotspot for the media, seeing as a lot of celebrities either dated the CEOs or _were_ the CEOs.

The paparazzi seemed to concentrate on Faye, and suddenly the walk to the door was very long. She reached out and gripped his hand nervously, and he squeezed back.

"What's your name!"

"Uh– Faye."

"Where did he first meet you!"

"At school…"

"Where were you born!"

"London, England, but we moved when I was still a baby…"

"What's your favorite color!"

"…Green."

"Why are the tips of your hair silver!"

"Uh…"

"Where did you learn Japanese!"

"Language softwares, books, animes…"

"Do you wear lenses!"

"Yeah, contacts."

At last, the two of them reached the building and were ushered in. They followed a couple signs to a magnificent grand ballroom. It was lit by massive chandeliers, and there were bouquets of flowers on the white tables. Faye gasped when they entered despite herself.

Kaiba wrapped an arm around her waist. "What, never been to a dance?"

"Not one as pretty as this…" They quickly found their assigned chairs and sat down…

* * *

Meanwhile, Yugi-tachi resided in an arcade nearby. Anzu tapped her foot, annoyed as Jounouchi and Honda played a versus video game. Yugi stood by her.

"Sorry," he said. "They wanted to come here, and it's cheaper than a hotel."

Anzu sighed. "I know. I'm just upset that they won't let anyone without an invite in. It's those damn paparazzi. They choke our society like it's a dying chicken."

"I know you want to keep an eye on Faye-chan," Yugi said, "but you have to trust her."

"I do…"

"Faye-chan can think for herself. If she gets into trouble, she can get out of it."

* * *

**Building suspense... Hope you enjoyed! Yes, Faye was born in England. It'll probably never be explained in the story, so I'll say it now. Her dad's job used to force them to move a lot. Soon after she was born, his job suddenly stopped making him move a bunch, so that's why she was born in England and grew up for the most part in Chicago. Please review! Cheers!**


	11. Minor Fantasy

**Sorry this chapter is a wee bit short. I'm building suspense. Next one will be short too... But I'll update again in a day or two. :)

* * *

**_Chapter 10_

Faye leaned back in her chair, content as waiters in black suits took their dishes away. Another waiter offered the guests mints, and she gratefully took one. Kaiba accepted one, too, and then he took her hand and held it. For once, she didn't blush, but she still smiled. She was becoming more comfortable with him.

The orchestra finished their song, and the host of the party stepped up to the microphone. Nakamura Eiji was a jolly man of sixty with hair turned white by years of stress. His voice boomed through the speakers as he announced, "Grab your dates, it's ball time!" He turned to the orchestra and nodded. They put their bows to their strings and started an adapted medley of a piano tune.

Faye gasped and bounced a little in her seat. "I recognize this!" she said. "Fantasy in D Minor, by Mozart. One of my favorites!"

Kaiba stood up and held out his hand. "Let's dance, then. You know how to waltz?"

She blushed and accepted his hand, letting him gently hoist her up. "A little. I took a class a while back… I guess I'm a jack of all trades, master of none." She laughed a little, nervously.

He smiled softly. "Just follow my lead."

He led her out to the dance floor. He put his hand on the small of her back, and she correctly put her hand on his upper arm. Her face was tinted pink, but she fearlessly looked him in the eye. And they started to dance in time to the music. She didn't step on his toes, and she allowed him to both twirl her and hold her close.

As the song came to its dynamic close, he actually picked her up, and they both spun. Faye giggled, and he put her back down when the last note played. In the applause that followed, Kaiba leaned down and kissed her.

The next song started: Vivaldi's Four Seasons. Faye grinned. "I love this one, too."

Kaiba stroked her cheek. "As do I." And the dancing started up again in a flurry of feet and dresses.

* * *

Eleven PM neared, and the arcade kicked Yugi-tachi out. Disgruntled, they walked along the block in the lamp-lit silence of the night. However, soon they found a 24-hour grocery store with a Starbucks inside, and they hung out in there.

"It's an hour to midnight," Yugi said, "and Faye hasn't called or anything."

"That doesn't mean anything," Anzu insisted as Jounouchi and Honda bought coffees for the four of them. "We're gonna stay nearby until Faye-chan gets dropped off at her apartment."

Yugi sighed in exasperation. "I know you care about Faye-chan – we all do – and I know you don't trust Kaiba-kun, but I don't think anything will go wrong tonight."

Anzu drummed her fingers on the table. "Well, if you're right, and Kaiba-san doesn't do anything tonight, I'll trust your judgment and I'll leave the two of them alone."

Yugi smiled. "Deal."

* * *

**I know orchestras probably don't play Fantasy in D Minor. But it's a classical song held close to my heart, so I had to include it. Cheers! **


	12. Orchestral Star Wars

**Sorry it's a little late. There's been storms all week, and I've been careful about turning the computer on. Besides that, the camp I'm volunteering at tires me out. But the end of the camp is tomorrow, so...

* * *

**_Chapter 11_

A few more medleys passed, a flurry of songs Faye didn't recognize. After these songs ended, they both sat down at their table.

She grinned at him. "Last time I was at a dance, the only thing the DJ played was rap. You know how hard it is to dance to rap?"

He shrugged, stroking the back of her hand. "I can only imagine."

She laughed. "It sucks. The most you can do is bounce awkwardly and scream or cheer." Suddenly, however, she yawned. "Oh, excuse me! I must be more sleepy than I thought."

He checked his watch, an expensive silver Rolex. "Well, it _is_ almost midnight. We can go up to the hotel room if you want." At that moment, the orchestra started playing music from Star Wars, and the ball room started laughing.

Faye stood up, also chuckling "Can you stand one more dance?"

Kaiba rose from his seat, too. "I'll dance all night long if that's what you want." She brightened, giggling cutely as she dragged him back to the dance floor…

* * *

"Excuse me," said a middle-aged lady in the supermarket's worker's uniform. She wore a shiny badge that said _Manager_. "If you're not going to buy anything, I'll have to ask you to leave." Anzu and Yugi stood up quickly, bowing deeply. Jounouchi and Honda had gone off somewhere in the store.

"Sorry!" Yugi apologized. "Just let us go find out friends, and we'll leave your store." The two of them hurried away. After a while of searching, Yugi said, "It's past midnight. They _can't_ still be up."

"No," Anzu replied. "They're at a _party_. Parties can go for really long times."

Yugi sighed. Sometimes his friend was so pig-headed.

* * *

One o'clock AM neared. Faye and Kaiba sat in the ball room, her head resting on his shoulder. He rubbed her upper back soothingly. "Would you like to retire for the night?" he murmured into her ear. He felt her nod.

"Mm-hmm…"

He tried not to smirk. "Okay. Let's go, the hotel is not far…"

* * *

**I'm writing the climax right now. It's very strange to write… You'll see when I post it next.**

**And it all seems so much longer in my notebook... which is about a fourth or third the size of a piece of computer paper...  
**


	13. Monster

**I apologize for future harsh language.

* * *

**_Chapter 12  
_

As they drove to the hotel, Faye's eyelids drooped. She fought sleep, but even then had to jerk her head up as it bent forward under the weight of her drowsiness. She looked at Kaiba incredulously. "How are you not tired?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I'm used to it." She leaned into him, and he stroked her hair.

A little while later, he was shaking her gently awake. She slowly woke up, becoming more alert than she was before her little nap. They had arrived at the hotel.

* * *

Anzu and Yugi finally found Jounouchi and Honda. The two boys had found the booster packs for Duel Monsters.

"Please, Anzu-chan!" they begged in unison. "Can we buy some?"

Anzu sighed, picking up a pack herself. "Fine… if it'll keep you happy for the rest of the night."

* * *

Kaiba opened the door to their hotel room and graciously held it open for Faye. She blushed prettily and stepped inside. He entered behind her, closing the door. She set her purse on the table next to the door and walked over to her luggage, examining the room as she went.

It was a nice suite, but it was a lot like other hotel rooms in the way that the walls were an ugly color, there were two queen-sized beds with a table between them, and a TV at the base. However, there were major, nicer differences. The TV was a flat-screen; the carpet was plush and soft; the lamps around the room were of elegant quality; and there was no musty, cleaning supply smell associated with most hotel rooms.

Faye turned on the lamp that was on the bedside table and kicked off her high-heeled sandals. She smiled at him. "This place is so nice. Are you sure it's not too much?"

Kaiba stepped close to her and lightly grasped her hands. "Nothing is too much, as long as it's for you." He resisted rolling his eyes when she blushed and grinned. Really, how do girls fall for that so often?

He leaned down and gently pressed his lips to hers. He swiftly changed his grip on her hands, and before she could react, he pushed her onto the bed.

* * *

Anzu blew air through her lips and ran her fingers through her hair as she checked the time on her cell phone restlessly. It was nearing half-past one. Jounouchi and Honda were buying their card packs as Yugi and Anzu waited.

"Maybe nothing _will_ happen," she muttered to herself. "They _must_ be asleep by now, or something."

* * *

"Kaiba-kun…?" Faye was breathless and speechless as she fell to the bed. He fell with her, keeping a strong grip on her wrists so that she couldn't easily move her arms. And then he was on top of her, holding her arms above her head. "What are you… doing?"

She was pinned. He made sure of that. He kissed her collarbone, her shoulder, her neck, her cheek. "This is what you wanted, isn't it?" he asked huskily, breathing hotly on her ear. She squeezed her eyes shut.

He pressed his lips to hers again, more passionately this time. In this close proximity, he could feel her tremble. And suddenly, he wanted to be a part of her. He wanted to be _inside_ her. He wanted to not know where he ended and she began. He slid a hand under her and unzipped her dress part way. Mmm… no bra…

_SMACK!_

Astonished, he leaped back, stumbling until he reached the wall. He lifted a hand to lightly touch the stinging spot on his cheek that was surely turning pink. He watched dumbfounded as Faye scrambled off the bed, taking giant steps towards the door. She reached it, paused, zipped her dress back up (freaky, isn't it?), and turned towards him.

"Who the hell do you think you are!" she accused. He could hear a threat of tears in her voice. He didn't reply. "Hell, what kind of person do you think I _am_?" She grabbed her purse.

"Faye…" he started, trying to think up an excuse to stop her from running away.

"NO!" she cut him off sharply. "Don't you 'Faye' me!" Tears began to leak from her eyes. Her voice got lower and wavered slightly. "You… you were my first. My first boyfriend. You made me so happy. Happy to look forward to something every day. Happy that someone cared about me in a way much more intimate than friendship." Her voice turned hoarse. "Was it all just a lie? A game to amuse you? A _ploy_ to… to do it with me?"

Kaiba stepped closer, standing tall. There's no way a girl could get the better of him! Not if he could help it, at least. "Maybe it was," he said deeply, huskily. Her face furrowed suddenly in pure fury as she took one step closer to the door.

"You leave me alone," she ordered, a hint of threat lacing her words, her voice dangerously low. "I'm going to leave the hotel, and you're going to stay here and let me go."

"And if I don't?" He took one more step, and her eyes flashed. Whoops.

"KAIBA SETO!" She shouted. "You are a fake and a liar! Go… Go fuck yourself! You son of a bitch!" In the whirlwind of her words, she exited the room, the door slamming behind her.

Kaiba sat back down on the bed, suddenly so shocked he couldn't stand. He knew Faye inside and out, and she had turned around and surprised him. He supposed she cracked. Perhaps he had misjudged her mental strength?

What surprised him the most was her words. She was the kind of girl to say "hey squirrely!" every time that bushy tail came near. She was the kind of girl to give a child a candy without expecting a thank you. She was the kind of girl who freaks when she discovers a spider. She was the kind of girl to scoff at the teenagers as they called each other cruel names as a joke. She was the kind of girl who seemed almost untouchable, because she was too precious to risk breaking. And she had slammed the door on him. He had lost her.

* * *

Faye managed to march down the hall, down the stairs, and out the hotel before the horror of what just happened caught up with her. It hit her like a freight train going full speed, and she was stalled on the tracks. She let out a high-pitched scream that ended in choked tears. She fumbled with her purse and withdrew her cell phone with shaking hands.

* * *

Anzu was starting to lose suspicion when her phone rang. She quickly flipped it open. "Faye-chan! Are you okay? You sound horrible!" She listened as Faye struggled to put a sentence together through her gasps. "Where are you? Give me the address and we'll be there in five. Yes, I'll stay on the phone. I'm here, sweetie. I'm here for you." She swiftly whispered to Yugi, "We're going. Now. I was right."

* * *

**Was that good? I don't have a lot of experience with emotionally wrenching scenes like that. And I once again apologize for the couple of swears. It fits. It would have sounded fake if I didn't use a swear. Please review, of course!**


	14. Roses

**Sorry this took so long. I hope I wrote this right.**

* * *

_Chapter 13_

Faye cried into Anzu's shoulder as they all drove back to their homes. Yugi sat with the girls in the backseat of the car while Honda drove; Jounouchi, riding shotgun, glanced back worriedly occasionally.

"I should h-have listened t-to you, Anzu-chan…" Faye sobbed. "Anzu patted her back. Her make-up was hopelessly smeared. "But I w-was t-too stubborn… I'm s-sorry…"

"It's not your fault," Anzu insisted.

It continued on like this. Faye would babble on how it was all her own stupid fault, and Anzu and the others would try to convince her it wasn't – it was _Kaiba's_ fault. Nevertheless, Faye cried herself to sleep. That night she slept at Anzu's house in her dress, making it wrinkle. But it didn't matter; come morning, it would be burned.

* * *

The first time Faye didn't show up for school, Kaiba wasn't surprised. In fact, he expected it. The second day of absence also came unsurprised, but on the third day, he was approached by Anzu.

She cornered him during lunch against the wall and jabbed a finger into his chest. "You're going to pay for what you did," she hissed. Kaiba cocked an eyebrow in reply. "I guess you're just a heartless son of a bitch that doesn't care. Or else you would have known that Faye hasn't picked up the phone or answered texts in three days!"

Now Kaiba was amused. So Faye was hiding from the world because of that night. Or, rather, hiding from _him_. He let a small chuckle escape his lips. That, however, made Anzu even angrier.

"You think this is _funny_?" She was almost shrieking. "You were playing a _game_, and you neglected to tell Faye-chan that!"

Kaiba was starting to grow bored. When would this girl leave him alone? He grabbed her arms and moved her so that now _he_ was cornering _her_. He bent down close to her face. "It's not my fault she is so weak," he said in a low voice, his words venomously thick. "Besides, she should feel lucky to have dated me in the _first_ place"

_SMACK._

Kaiba lurched back, his cheek once more stinging. He scowled at Anzu, whose eyes were blazing. What was it with girls and slapping?

"You self-centered jerk!" Anzu shouted harshly. "Not everyone is throwing themselves at your feet to date you!" She stalked off, leaving Kaiba to his thoughts.

* * *

More days passed with Faye still a no-show. Admittedly, Kaiba was curious, if not worried. She had no reason to disappear. She didn't move back to America, did she? He had to check.

He skipped school that day to visit her apartment. He asked the man at the desk what room was hers before taking the elevator up. He knocked on her door and waited. The door was opened by a tall young man with messy dark brown hair, pale blue eyes, and a round face. "Who're you," he asked flatly in a grumpy voice in English. "Speaky English?"

"I speak English perfectly well," Kaiba replied flatly. "I am Seto Kaiba…"

The man's eyes flashed in recognition and anger. "So _you're_ the guy who hurt my sister! You…"

He was interrupted by Faye's voice saying, "Dom? Who is it?" She came into view over the man called Dom's shoulder. She was wearing green flannel pajamas, her hair a mess and her eyes tired. She looked like she hadn't touched food in a while. She saw who it was at the door, and immediately her face revealed a mixture of confused emotion, like she didn't know what to think. Eventually, shock took over, and she simply said, "Oh."

Dom spoke again. "Get the f–– outta here, man. And take your f––ing necklace, too." He chucked something that whizzed by Kaiba's ear and crashed into the wall behind him before slamming the door. Kaiba heard a lock slide into place. He bent down and retrieved what Dom had thrown. It was indeed the necklace he had given Faye, but it had lost its luster from being rubbed, the emerald smudged with fingerprints. The head, too, had snapped off. Without another word, he put it in his pocket and left.

* * *

Mokuba found it later that day. "Hey, didn't you give this to Faye?" Kaiba answered with an affirmative grunt. "What happened to her? I liked her; she seemed nice."

"Nothing," Kaiba replied. Mokuba looked at him scornfully and distrustfully, but didn't press that subject. Instead, he asked his older brother, "Don't you have another girlfriend yet?"

Kaiba didn't answer that.

* * *

_He was in a room of fog. In the distance, he saw a faint green glow, and he followed it. It seemed to retreat from his approaching footsteps, and he sped up. It, too, sped up. All at once, the fog vanished, and he saw what it was. It was Faye, encased in glowing green, wearing the dress from the gala. He shouted her name, and she turned and fled. He chased after her, but suddenly he was falling, falling…

* * *

_

This whole Faye situation didn't seem to die down for Kaiba, not since visiting her apartment. Infuriatingly, he never left his thoughts alone. She infiltrated his dreams, making it impossible to sleep at night. No one talked to him during the day at school, not even Yugi. Even without her being there, she was everywhere.

Why couldn't she leave him alone? Why couldn't she see that it was over? Get over it! She needed to get out of his head! Days passed. He paced his office restlessly, tugging at his hair. The phone rang; he ignored it.

What was it about her that he couldn't stop thinking about? Was it her face when she saw him? Was it the fact that it was obvious she hadn't been eating? Was it the fact that it was his fault?

Mokuba had voiced the question of why he didn't have a new girlfriend yet. He hadn't answered. He couldn't. How could he when he didn't _know_ the answer?

He stopped his pacing suddenly, listening to the phone ring and feeling the sun on his skin as it streamed through the windows. An epiphany dawned on him. So that was why.

He strode over to the phone, picked it up, hung up on the caller, and dialed his secretary. When the other end picked up, he ordered, "I need two trucks, pyrotechnics, and a hundred dozen roses of every color."

* * *

Faye heard the knock at her apartment door and ignored it. Dom answered it instead. She listened to the murmur of voices from her dark bedroom. Footsteps approached her room, and her door swung open to reveal Anzu. "Get dressed," she said. Her voice revealed a sense of awe and disbelief. "There's something you must see."

Dressed in flare jeans and a black tank top, Faye followed Anzu as they ran through Domino towards the school. They arrived to find the entire front lawn of the school covered in fresh roses of every color. Faye gasped as the perfume washed over her. All the other students were outside the fence, unwilling to tread on the flowers. "What's going on?"

"I'm not sure," Anzu replied, "but come on, there's something you should see at the top of the building!" She grasped Faye's wrist and together they waded through the roses, climbed the stairs of the school, and stepped onto the roof. Anzu pulled her to the edge of the roof and the fence that surrounded it, and Faye gasped again.

The roses were arranged so that yellow ones spelled out kanji, pink ones formed a heart around the kanji, and red ones filled the rest of the yard. The kanji read: I love you, Faye. Forgive me?" "Who did this?" Faye breathlessly asked.

"I did," came a familiar deep voice. The two girls whirled around to face Kaiba. He approached Faye cautiously, as though afraid she'd bolt. He knelt in front of her (and in front of Anzu's glare) and held out a white rose.

"Faye-chan," he started, his gaze locking with hers. "I know I've been a jerk to you. I know I've hurt you. But I've had some time to think, and I realize that I made a huge mistake. You are one of the kindest people I know. In fact, I've never met anyone like you. And… I think I… I think I love you. What I want to know is if you'd be willing to take me back. If… If you'd be willing to forgive me." As he ended his little speech, he was shaking slightly. Almost as if he was nervous.

Faye glanced at Anzu, who shook her head, obviously disapproving. She turned back towards Kaiba. "Kaiba-kun," she started softly. "In all honesty, I don't know what to say. When I was with you, I was so happy, but it all turned out to be a game… But I also see in your eyes your desperation, your need for acceptance, for me to say 'yes.'" She took a deep breath. "I could be incredibly stupid, but my gut says this is not a trick. Logically, it makes no sense that you would come back, begging, to me, when you were the one who ended it in the first place." She paused, looking long and hard at his despondent eyes, his torn expression.

"In all honesty," she continued, "in all my hours of thinking, I still don't know what to think. For the last several days, I've been thinking of how stupid I must be to keep the necklace you gave me. How stupid of me to think that maybe, just maybe, you had a little bit of heart in your chest." She chewed her lip. "And yet, here you are now…" She took another deep, shuddering breath. Kaiba's gaze was pleading. "I would be the cruelest person in the world if I didn't say 'yes.' Not only cruel to you, but also to myself. So… I say… I say yes."

And she took the white rose.

* * *

**Did I do that right? Did you guys believe it? I really wanted this story to be 13 chapters... though there's going to be an Epilogue. Did you guys like it? Please tell me! I need to know!**

**Thanks for reading anyway!  
**


	15. Epilogue

_Epilogue_

During a break from school, Anzu took a walk with Yugi. Just her and Yugi; no Jounouchi, no Honda, no interruptions. But they did pass an outdoors café, at which sat Faye and Kaiba.

"Oh, I didn't know they'd be here today," Yugi commented. "Do you wanna say 'hi'?"

"No, no," Anzu said quickly. "Let's not bother them on their date. Let's just keep walking!" As she shooed Yugi along, she glanced back to watch the couple.

Kaiba reached across the table, and Faye flinched almost instinctively. But she allowed him to take up her hand. He said something, and she blushed. As Anzu watched as the two rose from the table. Kaiba stepped close to Faye and embraced her warmly. Then, he lightly kissed her cheek.

Yugi found Anzu watching, and followed her gaze. "I guess they're restarting from the beginning," he said.

Anzu sighed. "Guess so."

Yugi observed his friend for a while longer before remarking, "You still don't approve of them."

She blew a strand of hair out of her face and smiled down at him. "I don't approve, but that is based on my previous thoughts. Though I still don't like Kaiba-san, I don't think he'd do anything to hurt her. Not anymore, at least."

Yugi smiled back, and Anzu felt her face heat up slightly. "Yes, Anzu. I think you're right."

The couple continued on their walk. Whatever will be, will be. But, at this point, it seemed like "whatever" would be lovely.

* * *

**Thanks for joinin' me on the ride of my first ever completed, multi-chaptered fanfiction! Hope you enjoyed.**


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